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MATTHIAS BALDlVIN. Oli IIIILAI),lGIilIllA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MODE OF CONNECTING PISTON-RODS WITH THE PISTGNS OF STEAIi/-CYLINDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,904, dated December 17, 1840.

Be it kno-wn that I, h/Lvr'rnms lV. BALD- wiN, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an improvement in the manner ot' connecting the piston-rod with the pistons of steam-cylinders, of pumps, of blowing-inachines, and ot' other engines in which the cylinder is to be doubleaeting; and I do hereby declare that the tollowing is a full and exact description thereof.

The object of my improvement is, by dispensing with the guides as commonly used, and with the pitman, or i'od, usually employed to connect the crank, or working beam, with the piston rod, and which in conned situations cannot be made of sutlicicnt length to be advantageously employed, to combine the pitman and piston-rod in one, by which the whole length of the piston-rod is, in eiect, added to the pitman.

In carrying my improvement into eifect, I connect the outer end of the piston-rod, by means oit a joint pin, directly, to a crank, or to a vibrating beam, or lever, as the case may be; and the inner end thereof I li kewise connect to the piston, by means of a joint pin; by which device the piston-rial is allowed to vibrate laterally to that extent which may be necessary for the throw o't the crank, or ot' the curve formed by the motion olf the beam, or lever. In the upper, or outer, head ol thel cylinder I make a longitudinal slot, or opening, of sijitlieient length to admit of the lateral vibration of the piston-rod, resulting from its inode oit connection, and this slot, or opening, I cover with a jointed hub, or with ay slide, and connect the saine with a stutling box to embrace the piston; constructing these parts in such manner as to keep them, steam, water, and air, tight, while the necessary freedom ot' motion is allowed. The mode ot const-11net.- ing and arranging the jointed hub, or the Slide, and of the parts connected with it will admit oit' considerable variation. y but the subjoined exen'ipliiications will :t'nlly point out the principle upon which the operation of my improved apparatus is dependent.

In Figure l, in the accompanying drawing, I have shown the manner in which. .l sometimes connect a jointed hub with the head of t-he cylinder and with the stalling box through which the piston-rod passes. A, is the cylinder, and B, its upper. or outer,

head. t), is the jointed hub, which is so Jformed at the end which is in Contact with the head el" the cylinder as to constitute with it a knuckle, or rather a ball and socket, joint, this latter being much preferred; the projecting part. a., a, on the head of the cylinder making one half ot' this joint. D, D, is astirrnp by which the hub is confined in place, there being tighteningl screws 7), L, tor drawing it down to a close joint. E, is a stuthng box through which the piston-rod l". passes, the outer end of which is shown as jointed to the crank G. The stutling boX E, is fitted to the hub by a ball and socket joint; it has on each of its sides a strap H, connected to it by joint pins at its center ot' motion, and carrying joint pins 0, at its lower end, upon which the stirrup D, D, bears; these latter pins constituting the center oit motion of the hub. 3y this arrangef ment, the tightening' screws l), act equally upon the hub, and upcn the stutling box. The hub C, as well as the head B, has an opening' through it to admit the piston rod, which opening is widened out to allow7 of the lateral motion ot said piston.

Fig. 2, is a section through a part of the cylinder and piston, and through the hub and its appendages; the shaded portion (Z, (Z, represents the lateral space in the hub and head for the vibration oic the piston-rod, which rod is shown as jointed to the piston at c. In this ligure, the respective parts are designated by the same letters as in Fig. l.

l have thus shown the plan of carrying out my improvement, which lf consider the best, and l will now describe two other modifications tht-.root that will answer a like purpose, and that will serve to exen'iplify the variation ot' which the principle is Susceptible. ln Fig. il, j, f, is a straight slide which covers the slot or opening, in the head ot' the cylinder` ot sulticient length to allow o't the vibration ot the piston-rod this slide may be held down b v staples, or clips, a, a.. and may traverse against friction rollers; y, g, is a stu'tling box attached to the slide j', b v trunnions 71. and having its lower side i', curved, and lilled to work air-tight .in the slide. .X slide oi" this kind may be fitted to the under side ot the cylinder head, and it will then be held close, against its bearings b v the pressure ot the steam, but it will, in this case, be subjected to greater Friction and this arrangement is not, therefore, preterred.

Fig. 4, represents another modification of the slide f, f, wherein it is bont so as to 'form a scgnlcnt of ay oirrtc, its :wat on thol v ylin der head being convex, and the two being .grolmd together. and thus madt` to ft port'octly close. This slide ,is represented as horno down hy i'ric'tion i'oitorbl j, j; tho stuttng-hox y, y, may, under this arrangenmnt, bo ixed irndy to the slide, thv contrr of tho curvature of this being the middle oi the piston, the angular variation will not he such as to produce cramping, more partiolilarly when a levcr beam is used; but the. stuiing box may he hung on triomions, or be made to consist of a Segment of a hall, and work in a socket, if preferred.

'Iavinp; thus fully described tho nature of my imln'ovmont, and Shown the manner in which the same. operates, what I Claim aS my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi-- Tho attaching of the piston-rod 0i' a doubleaotiug' iwtoam, water, blowing, or other, engine, directly to ay lever beam, or crank, at ono vnd, and to tho piston at tho other, causing the. said piston-rod to pass through a stuiiing-hox connected with a jointed hub, or with a ldido. so formed and arranged as to admit of the. lateral vibration of the piston-rod. substantially in the manner herein Het forth.

D'ATTTIIAS XV. BALDWIN.

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